The present invention relates generally to multifunctional, thermoelastic cellular structures with tunable thermal transport behaviors, and particularly to tunable thermal switches.
Thermal management is a critical component for successful operation of mechanical, chemical, electrical and electronic devices. In a conference paper titled “Thermal Applications for Advanced Metallic Materials,” Jonathan E. Spowart, SAMPE 2007, Baltimore Md., Jun. 3-7, 2007, one of the co-inventors for the present invention described the then current state of the art for advanced metallic structures and their possible use for thermal management.
Thermal management is particularly important in the areas of hypersonic vehicle thermal management and spacecraft thermal management, as well as for directed energy weapons and for protection from the effects of such weapons.
An example of an important thermal management problem is in satellite thermal control systems (TCS). Satellite thermal control systems conduct waste heat from hot satellite components to cooling radiators to prevent overheating. When a satellite is in eclipse (out of the sunlight), the cooling effect of the radiators can be too much, requiring use of so-called survival batteries to power heating units to protect the satellite components from damage.
Survival batteries are heavy and require replacement. Solutions to this problem include mechanical shutters that cover the radiators during eclipse periods. While not as heavy as batteries, moving mechanical devices are notoriously unreliable in an in-orbit space environment.
There is, therefore, a need for new and improved components for use in thermal management systems.